SPOKANE, Wash. — When Gonzaga guard Zach Norvell Jr. was 3, he performed dribbling, shooting and layup drills during halftime at New Mexico State basketball games. In high school, Norvell played at Simeon Career Academy, a Chicago power the has produced players such as Derrick Rose, Jabari Parker and Nick Anderson. However, when thinking about what court shaped him into the player he is today — a starter for the No. 8 Bulldogs who never hesitates to take a shot — another place pops into Norvell’s head: the gym at DuSable Leadership Academy.

“Every day, honestly, right after school,” Norvell says when asked how often he frequented the gym. “After I would finish my homework, my dad would get the ball and we would go to the gym and I would have it all to myself. I would practice shots that I saw in the NBA.”

Behind the brick walls of the three-story building sitting between 49th and 50th Street, was DuSable’s court — alternating red and black...